our first ever ambassador to this new burma, derek mitchell, is here with us today. and he along with the team that assistant secretary curt campbell leads are not only in constant communication but ongoing consultation with many representatives of different constituencies in burma so that we can provide the help and support that is necessary and appropriate. last sess, i had the honor of visiting suu chi in the house that was once her prison and we talked about many things, including the challenge of moving from protest to politics and becoming a stateswoman and that's what her country needs from her now. i know a little bit about how hard that can be. it exposes you to a new sort of criticism and attack and requires the kind of pragmatic compromise and coalition building that is the life blood of politics but may disappoint the purists who have held faith with you while you were on the outside. yet in the months since she walked out of house arrest and into the political arena, she has proven herself to be a natural. campaigning hard, legislating well, and staying